DECEMBER 2015: Kadhai Paneer

Want an easy peasy but yet very delicious paneer dish? You will love every bite of this with Indian chapati or roti or naan!

photoed by A. Rajan

INGREDIENTS:
400 g. of store bought paneer (Indian cheese made without rennet --an animal derivative)
4 bell peppers green (or different colors if you wish for more colors in your dish)
4 ripe tomatoes
1 green chilli
An inch of ginger
1 tbsp of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves - available at the Indian grocers) 
A tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of garam masala
cilantro for final garnish

PROCEDURE:
In a blender, add cut tomatoes, ginger, and chilli. Puree them all.
In a wok, add oil, now just shallow fry your diced bell peppers enough to get golden marks from frying; cooked a little yet having a bite. 
Set aside to use later. 
Now, do the same with diced paneer. Set aside. 
Add little more oil. Once hot enough, throw in cumin seeds. Let them crackle. 
Now add your tomato puree and saute it till oil separates. 
As you are doing it, add garam masala, kasoori methi,and salt. 
Now add diced bell peppers and paneer cubes in it. Sauté.
Now cover the pot with a lid on a medium flame to let vegetable and paneer get infused with flavors... for about 3 minutes. 
Plate it and garnish with fresh cilantro.

NOTE:
Eat with any roti of your choice. I prefer soft chapati (wheat roti) with ghee smeared all over it.

photoed by A. Rajan

It's a very easy yet tasty recipe. Try and let us know how much you liked it. :-)

Much love... :-)

--A.R.

smile emoti

NOVEMBER 2015: Roasted Vegetable Soup

photoed by D. Liongson

It isn't everyday I eat eggplants, tomatoes, and chickpeas cooked together in one dish.

After eating one helping of this Roasted Vegetable Soup, it became an experience I look forward to when I return to The Cafe Mediterranean.

It is not the usual chopped fresh eggplants-tomatoes-chickpeas-tossed-in-hot-water combo. These veggies are grilled, blended, and served piping hot. It may take a discriminating tongue to identify the herbs and spices.  

Would I recognize every flavor added to the soup? Beats me.  All I know is... IT'S DELISH!

Lightly spiced, roasted flavor, pleasant texture in the mouth, a hint of salt, and shifts from hot-to-warm on time.

This is available in cup order or bowl order. I haven't tried the bowl version. It would help to ask the waiter what the size differences are.

If you order this soup and you have dietary restrictions, ask the waiter if this soup contains what you are forbidden to eat. On my end, the resto staff are friendly. If I received any rude dramas from them, it is certain I won't come back.  

Fortunately, I look forward to return.

The menu items they have are worth exploring. Preferences ranging from meat to veggies (or in between) can be found. If you try out all the items (agreeable to you) in the menu, you will discover what your favorite is.

The Cafe Mediterranean.  Try a branch nearest you!
--D.L.



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D' HAIKU

Slurping flavors of

eggplant, tomatoes, chickpeas;

Roasted Veggie Soup.

--D.L.

OCTOBER 2015: Southeast Asian Quinoa Bowl (with Thai and Chinese influence)

photoed by A. Rajan

This is inspired by Thai style cooking, and Hakka style Chinese cooking. I just did fusion to experiment, and now I make this once a week.

Ingredients

---------------

1 1/2 cup quinoa

water

a stalk of lemon grass

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup raw peanuts

half an inch piece of ginger, shredded

2 cloves of garlic, minced

a bunch of spring onions (whites to cook; greens to garnish)

1/4 cup green beans, julienned

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded (or julienned) 

1 bell pepper, diced

2-3 Thai green chillies

1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce or soya sauce

(If using hoisin, skip sugar. If not, add 1 tsp brown sugar)

salt (to taste)
black pepper, cracked (to taste)

Procedure

--------------

1) First, cook your quinoa in double quantity of water, with the lemon grass added to it. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Once done, you can separate the grains gently with a fork. Set aside. (The lemon grass will add nice flavor and fragrance to the quinoa.)

photoed by A. Rajan

2) In a pan, add oil and fry the raw peanuts. 

3) Keep the peanuts for garnish later. 

4) (In the same oil) saute your ginger, garlic, (whites of) spring onions, green beans, cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper. 

photoed by A. Rajan

5) Cook only so much that there will be still a little bite to it. 

6) Now add green chillies. 

7) Stir in little fish sauce and hoisin sauce. (If using soya sauce, add brown sugar at this stage.) 

8) Add the salt and the black pepper

9) Stir and then add cooked quinoa to this. 

10) Mix (greens of) spring onions and the peanuts. 

Your quinoa is ready. It is drool worthy and delicious!

--A.R.

SEPTEMBER 2015: Fish and Chips ala Wamba's

photoed by D. Liongson

I usually eat fish and chips with tartare sauce. After the overwhelm of the sauce's creamy effect and its sweetness from the sugar or corn syrup, I learned to settle for a squeeze from a wedge of lemon.

Wamba's Bistro served fish and chips that I appreciated. The effect of beer in the batter gives the fried fish a pleasant flavor to the tastebuds. I suppose there is no harm with cooking food with beer. Perhaps the bubbles in the beer pushed the cooking oil at a certain distance leaving the coating to a crisp.

There were condiments such as a wedge of lemon and a little sauce dish of vinegar. I love the effect of the well-salted fish and the lemon. Perhaps fans of the salt and vinegar potato chips would have a go eating the fish and chips with vinegar. It seems to slip from my memory if I tried the vinegar. But then if I had a choice of vinegar or lemon, lemon is usually high on my list.

Although I may be biased with preferring lacto ovo pesco vegetarian food, this resto may have specials and best-sellers that may ring bells with your food preferences. 

Wamba's Bistro belongs to a genre of Spanish/Basque food for casual dining and take out. 

May you enjoy your meal. I did! :-)

--D.L.

AUGUST 2015: Sheera

photoed by A. Rajan

Desserts makes my heart sing. Especially, if it is an Indian dessert called Sheera... I guess I can call it Semolina fudge. I remember every Marathi family from Maharashtra, had this as a staple offering to god during praying rituals. 

Recipe is very simple for this holy fudge. I like it better this way as it has milk and bananas as special ingredients instead of plain sugar water combo.

You will need:

------------------

1 cup of fine semolina or sooji

1 cup of ghee

1 cup of sugar

a few cardamom seeds, finely ground

2 cups of milk

Golden raisins, slivered almonds as garnish (if you like)

1 banana

Procedure:

--------------

1)You would heat the ghee first and roast the semolina until it becomes golden and specks of white dots disappear from semolina. 

2)Then, you can mash or cut the banana and add it into milk and sugar mixture. 

3)Add that mixture to the roasted semolina and keep stirring it till you see the ghee is separating on the edges. 

4)Add the cardamom powder at this stage along with slivered almonds and raisins. 

5)Keep stirring. It ensures that mixture won't burn or stick to the pot. 

Sheera is ready. Hope you will like it as much as I do.

Bon Appetit!

--A.R.

JULY 2015: Crispy Noodles with Seafood

photoed by D. Liongson

At Pho Vietnam, I noticed this resto serves food that pleases the sight and the appetite.

My favorite order is the Crispy Noodles with Seafood. There are other choices for the crispy noodles option: 1)with chicken, or 2)with combination (probably that's chicken and seafood).

My mouth had indulged in crunchy noodles, succulent seafood, tender crisp vegetables, and subtle broth; served warm enough so as not to burn the mouth. 

But just to be safe, have a bite of the shrimp to check if the warmth is just right or if there is a need to wait for the meal to cool down a bit.

Once this dish is served on the table, it is usually in time to "dig in". This would apply when eating at solo mode. But eating with other people, it's more appropriate to wait till all the orders are served; then, totally dig in!

I haven't tried adding extra sauce for flavor. I'm happy with the subtle and natural flavors of the broth, noodles, vegetables, and seafood. It slipped my mind to check if they offer sauces ranging from mild to hot. To those who like adding extra flavor, it may help to see if there are other sauces available before deciding to dine in.

If you are in Southport QLD and in the mood for a movie and a festive lunch, have a go with Pho Vietnam of Australia Fair after your cinema session in Event Cinemas. The resto and the movie place are next door neighbors. ;-)

Whether you come solo or as a group, it's all good!
--D.L. 

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D' HAIKU

Meal that pleased my sight:
Crispy Noodles with Seafood; 
tummy satisfied.
--D.L.

JUNE 2015: Dal

photoed by A. Rajan

You may understand the value of the home cooked comfort food when you go on a vacation. 

So anyway, we went for this awesome Canadian rockies holiday and there I got to sample variety of delicious food. But what you cook and are used to, start dancing on your palate... of course, it's all in the mind.

So, I love my Dal & Rice combination with a generous drizzle of clarified butter or ghee on top of that. It's incredibly nutritious and full of protein.

I cook mostly mung bean dal or lentils (yellow in color). It is easy to digest and it's an excellent meal, according to Ayurveda.

Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow mung beans or lentils

Few chopped green chillies 
--(I used four. I like to have little zing...)

--(One can use less or omit it.)

1 chopped tomato

Salt to taste

Tbsp of oil

Half a tsp of black mustard seeds

2 cloves mashed garlic

Half tsp of turmeric

Pinch of Asafoetida powder (hing)

Handful of chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Procedure:

Wash the beans two three times and then, 

Soak the beans in double or more water. 

Cook the beans till it gets mushy and done. 

Now, add chopped green chillies and chopped tomato.

Add salt to this and let it cook together. 

Now take a little oil in a small pan and once the oil is hot.

Add mustard seeds, mashed garlic and asafoetida powder. 

Let the mustard seeds crackle, and let the garlic become     
     golden, and temper your Dal with this.

Immediately close the lid in which Dal is being cooked, so   

     that the fragrance of tempering doesn't escape and 

     marries into the dal; making it flavorful.

Once done, just garnish the Dal with chopped cilantro.

I eat this with plain white rice and drizzle of ghee and a wedge of lemon on the side. This is my simple Dal. One can add onions or veggies and experiment, as they like. I prefer it simply like this, and I enjoy it nonetheless. 

Slurp! :-)

--A.R.

MAY 2015: Burrito Enchilada - Barramundi

photoed by D. Liongson

Mexican food at its finest!  GYG! (Guzman Y Gomez)!

I ordered a Burrito Enchilada with Barramundi (one of those fishy-fishies!) with an add-on of brown rice.

The bite and flavors are delish and as gorgeous as the photo above. Jack cheese, crema (I used to think it is sour cream. But then I may be mistaken.), guacamole, salsa, and corn chips... in the wrap is the pan-seared barramundi fish fillets, garlic, lime sauce, and brown rice.

The one who took my order suggested to add some brown rice in this fisho enchilada. I did and I'm heaps glad oh goody I did!  It added texture to the contents and absorbed the flavors as well, that it appears that the rice is flavorful, too. I can recall the warmth of this food with the cooling effect of the avocados and tomatoes... the rolling textures of softness, chewy, and crunchy... tastes of creamy, salted just right, and the mildly citrusy.

If you noticed their menu, the Barramundi variety is on the mild side. To those who want the kapow kick of hot flavors, there are condiments available in this resto. I have seen jalapeno (...sorry, I have no clue how to make that Spanish enye in "jalapeno" on this keyboard. But if you can post a comment on how to get that done on editing in Blogger, I'd appreciate it :-), bottled sauces... but then I cannot say much because I like it mild, too.  I guess that makes me a softie. :-)

I did my homework when I made this blog post. Your turn to do your homework like what do you want to order and how to get that done. Here's the LINK.  

If the listed branches are too far away, how about adding this resto dining experience to your bucket list? 

To all you Mexican Food fans, it's worth it!
--D.L.



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D' JOKE
Q: Why are fishes drunk on first banking day of the week?
A: Because they drink next to The Bar O'Monday.
(HINT: It sounds like the fish I wrote about in this blog. ;-)
--D.L.

APRIL 2015: Golden Crispy Savoury Crepe (Dosa)

photoed by A. Rajan

Crispy golden crepe (dosa) with lightly spiced filling of potatoes and onions, is delightful in every bite. Since we heard about this place so many times, we decided to go and binge in the so called haven of South Indian style food (Kathir Food Experience resto). This place did not disappoint, when it comes to taste, as well as presentation. The taste buds are first titillated with the smell of food and also with the way it’s been presented. It first feeds your senses and then pleasures your soul in every bite. 

The crepe is served with variety of different chutneys or dips (as you may call it). Chutneys are of three different varieties, namely coconut chutney, tomato chutney and green chutney; which makes the experience of dosa-eating complete in every way.

Referring to Wikipedia, dosa is considered amongst top 50 tastiest foods in the world-- according to CNN.  High in proteins and enzymes, it makes an ideal food for health conscious. The enzyme activity is enhanced, because of fermentation process of the batter. I guess it’s debatable to what ratio you will mix rice and lentils. I have heard various versions from people. Some people prefer 3:1 ratio and consider it to be the best but then there are others who say 4:1 or 5:1 is better. 

I am not too sure. I tried making dosas at home with 3:1 ratio, and they turned out decent enough, if not perfect. I guess it’s about the quality of rice as well. I use any white rice, I have handy at home and use just that. Sometimes the results are inspiring. Other times, I almost make a decision of not making it ever again; considering the wastage and the mess that goes along with it. Remembering its rice to lentils ratio is a must.

The process is simple. 

1)Soak rice and lentils separately. 

2)Grind lentils to a smooth consistency, and grind rice to a little grainy consistency.  

3)Now mix both of them, and then let it be on the kitchen counter or any warm place overnight for 8 hours, to let it ferment. (The batter will rise and double in quantity.)

4)Mix it with a little salt, and then on a hot flat pan, 

5)Spread the batter with the back of your ladle. (It doesn’t take long to cook them.)

6)Just let it cook till it becomes golden brown and crisp.  

Served with my dosas, I like the whole hog of all chutneys-- that they served at this restaurant. You can experiment with chutneys of your choice. I make one with scraped coconut, raw mango, coriander, green chilies and salt and then temper it with mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil. It’s my absolute favorite introduced to me by my neighbor-- back in India. I don’t have anything against traditional chutneys though. 

If you don’t want to go through, all these troubles, then there are plenty of places, where you can find good South Indian food. I liked the simplicity in ambience at Kathir and the way my dosa was presented in a simple compartmentalized steel plate. The place was busy; the servers were efficient and very work centered on delivering goods to every table on time. Call about feeding hungry souls and they do just that. They delivered excellent quality food. 

My tummy is happy and I will go back for more.

--A.R.

                                                                                                                                                                           

MARCH 2015: Sweet and Unsweet Combo ala Starbucks

photoed by D. Liongson

In the mood for cake and a drink for afternoon tea?  Lots of cake are on the sweet side.  With such a cake, I recommend you take it with a drink that has zero sweeteners.  

Your sweet cake will sweeten the unsweet drink.  Yup.  Have a bite of that cake and a sip of that drink.  You get to explore the flavors that the added sweetener would mask.

For example, I ordered a Blueberry-licious Cheesecake and a hot Mint Blend tea.  (I made the mistake of ordering peppermint tea.  They may not have peppermint tea but Mint Blend is what they have, and it is just as fab!)  Best eaten and drank slowly.  If I ate and drank these in a rush, I'd miss the fun of enjoying the yummm factor.

photoed by D. Liongson

If you'll share the cake with another foodie, feel free to ask for another fork. (I did. :-)

The tea usually comes with two serves of tiny honey tubs.  If you will be having tea with a sweet treat, I suggest you to set aside the honey for another chance to a zero sweetened food plus a drink that needs honey-ing.

There may be other drinks you can take unsweetened to go with a slice of sweet cake.  I leave that experiment up to you.  :-)

Question, hot drink or iced drink?  If you need warmth on a cold day, hot drink it is.  If you sweat like pigs and need to chill, then that would call for a iced drink.

Some diabetics may be instructed to steer clear from sweet anything.  Diabetics, by all means, consult your doctor about a list of food of both 1)you may eat and 2)you may not eat. Then, consume what you may. 

There are a caboodle of health conditions that prohibit certain types of food.  It is smarter to ask your doctor of what food to eat and what to avoid than to make a naughty risk.  (Too bad there are people who insult their doctor rather than to consult one. Tsk tsk tsk...) 

Blueberry-licious Cheesecake and hot Mint Blend Tea... cheers! <clink!>
--D.L.



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D'HAIKU
Blueberry cheesecake:
creamy, cheesy, sweet and gone;
with hot minty tea!
--D.L.

FEBRUARY 2015: Kande Pohe (flattened rice or beaten rice with onions)

photoed by A. Rajan

This is a popular regional breakfast item in Maharashtra. Pohe is a nutritious and versatile ingredient and can be turned into porridge or breakfast cereal. But this is more like savory breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 cups pohe

2 medium size onions

Couple of green chillies

1 small potato, boiled and cut in small cubes

Handful of raw peanuts

Mustard seeds

Oil

2 Tbsp of grated coconut

Lime wedges

Coriander leaves (cilantro)

1) First, wash the flat rice (pohe) and

drain the water completely.

2) Heat some oil in flat-bottomed pan or wok.

3) Fry some raw peanuts and keep on the side.

In the same oil, add green chillies and mustard seeds.

4) Once you hear crackling of the seeds, add finely chopped onions and

saute till they become transparent.

5) Add the potatoes followed with some turmeric powder.

6) Saute a little, and then

add soaked and drained pohe into the wok,

add salt to taste, and

let it steam a little.

7) Once done, you can eat this by garnishing it with fried peanuts, coconut, cilantro and dash of lime juice.

I love this recipe, as its very quick, healthy and tasty. Try it out and share your experience with us.

--A.R.